Intention of Sri Lankan state is extermination of Tamils - TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 April 2009, 16:04 GMT]"The Sri Lankan State's actions establish beyond a shadow of doubt, that the real intention of the Sri Lankan State is the progressive extermination of the Tamil people," said the statement published by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in India on Friday. "The fact that the Sri Lankan State and its Armed forces despite the widest possible international outcry that the safety of Tamil civilians is paramount, have not been deterred even to the slightest degree, in the pursuit of their military attacks in Tamil civilian populated areas, without any regard whatever, for the safety of Tamil civilians, is indicative of the deep hostility that the Sri Lankan State and its Armed forces bear towards the Tamil people," the statement issued by the TNA further said.

The concerns expressed by civil society activists lead to the legitimate fear that could be annihilation of surviving Tamil civilian population through the use of weapons of mass killings, the TNA statement said.

A cessation of all military attacks is brought about in the No Fire Zone as the only definitive way to ensure the right to life of the substantial number of Tamil civilians living in the NFZ, the TNA said.

The statement was signed by R. Sampanthan, the parliamentary group leader of the TNA, M. Senathiraja, the general secretary, K. S. Premachandran, general secretary of the EPRLF and Selvam A. Adaikkalanathan, president of TELO.

Imminent Humanitarian Catastrophe--Denial of the right to life--facing
around 2,50,000 Tamil Civilians in the Vanni region in Sri Lanka

We desire to place before you the following facts.
Consequent to military action and multiple displacements around
250,000 Tamil civilians have been compelled to seek refuge in a small
territory about 20 square kilometres in extent along the coast of
Mullaitheevu district.

The Sri Lankan State while engaging in military action within this
territory, also claims to have proclaimed this territory as a No Fire
Zone (N.F.Z)

The Sri Lankan State claims to be in control of all other territory in
this region up to the boundaries of this No Fire Zone (N.F.Z).

No independent media is permitted access to this region. Even U.N.
Agencies the I.C.R.C. and international NGOs have strictly limited
access. We submit that the Sri Lankan State delibrately pursues this
policy in order to suppress the truth in regard to what is happening
within this territory.

Nevertheless, on the basis of reports filed by reputed international
Human Rights Organizations, U.N. Agencies and information obtained of
the continuing casualties on a daily basis and verified through
various sources, it would be reasonable to estimate that during the
course of this year and up to date, over 4500 Tamil Civilians have
been killed and that around double the number of Tamil Civilians have
been injured.

Despite the Sri Lankan Government's denial, it is indisputable that as
accepted by several International organizations that these casualties
have occurred as a result of bombing and shelling into Tamil Civilian
populated areas by the Sri Lankan Armed forces.

The stark reality is that in the prosecution of this war against the
L.T.T.E, the Sri Lankan State and its Armed Forces do not have any
regard whatever for the safety or the well being of the Tamil
Civilians. The fact that the Sri Lankan State and its Armed forces
despite the widest possible international outcry that the safety of
Tamil Civlians is paramount, have not been deterred even to the
slightest degree, in the pursuit of their military attacks in Tamil
Civilian populated areas, without any regard whatever, for the safety
of Tamil Civilians is indicative of the deep hostility that the Sri
Lankan State and its Armed forces bear towards the Tamil people. The
Sri Lankan State's actions establish beyond a shadow of doubt, that
the real intention of the Sri Lankan State is the progressive
extermination of the Tamil people.

Our immediate concern is the right to life of the substantial number
of Tamil Civilians in the N.F.Z and their fundamental right to
safeguard adn protect their lives.

We wish to refer in particular to the following:

The Sri Lankan armed forces have reached the boundary of the N.F.Z
and the Sri Lankan Government has clearly indicated its determination
to continue with this military offensive; the Sri Lankan State has
announced that it will launch manoeuvres to take over the N.F.Z.

Any military offensive inside the N.F.Z. must inevitably render
Tamil Civilians even more vulnerable and inflict much greater harm on
this large Tamil Civlian population that has taken place hitherto.
Bombing, shelling and other military attacks by the Sri Lankan Armed
forces within the N.F.Z will leave several thousands of Tamil Civlians
dead or injured.

The concern expressed by civil society activists particularly from
India, that the Sri Lankan Government is using banned and illegal
explosives including bombs with possible chemical and nerve gases more
specifically that the thermobaric bomb has been used in mass killing
and also that cluster bombs have been used.

These concerns lead to the legitimate fear that there could be mass
annihilation of the surviving Tamil Civlian population through the use
of weapons of mass killing.

We urge that tangible action is urgently required to prevent this
major calamity of unimaginable proportions--the mass denial of the
right to life--occuring to the Tamil Civlian population within the
N.F.Z.

Though there are several other matters of much concern to the Tamil
Civilians in this region, who have gone through multiple displacements
and who are facing immense deprivation and suffering, we are at this
juncture primarily concerned with the right to life of the substantial
number of Tamil Civilians living in the N.F.Z in the Mullaitheevu
district.

We therefore appeal to India to urgently take steps to ensure:

a. That a cessation of all military attacks is brought about in the
N.F.Z as the only definite way to ensure the right to life of the
substantial number of Tamil Civilians living in the N.F.Z; these
people we submit should not be killed only for the reason that they
are Tamils.

b. In order to ensure that all such military attacks are termiated,
that simultaneous action be persued under the auspices of the United
Nations to investigate all violations of international humanitarian
law relating to the Tamil civilian popularion and for further
appropriate action relating thereto.

c. We respectfully urge that this issue be addressed as a matter of
grave urgency; delay could result in a large number of Tamil Civlians
being deprived of their right to life.